Machine for applying tape



Sept. 3, 1963 N. w. SJQBERG MACHINE. FOR APPLYING TAPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 Filed March 28, 1962 p 1963 N. w. SJOBERG 3,102,287

MACHINE FOR APPLYING TAPE Filed March 28, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IVNVENTOR. M gm;

United states Pmmo 3,102,287 r MACHINE FOR APPLYING TAPE Nils Sjoberg, Lynn, Mass, assignor to'Prime Manufacturing Company, Lynn, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts r Filed Mar. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 183,281

8 Claims. (Cl. 12--59.5)

The invention comprises a new and improved machine for applying tape of measured lengths to sheet material of any kind, such as shoe uppers for example. The invention will be described herein in that connection although it is not limited to any specific field of use.

In the manufacture of shoes it iscustomary to apply adhesive tape to certain seams uniting parts of the upper, notably to the back seam uniting or closing the-vamp Or quarters. In this operation it is important and desirable to measure the length of the applied tape and often to limit it to less than the length of the seam. For example, the length of the tape should be less than that of the back seam so that tape will not be caught in the folded top edge of the vamp or quarter when these parts are finished by folding. I

The machine of my invention is accordingly adapted for carrying out the steps of feeding 'a -shoe upper, or

the parts thereof, superposed relation with a tape and in automatically cutting off the tape at any predetermined distance from the trailing edge of the upper while the feeding movement of the upper is still taking place.

To this end an important feature of the invention comprises a timer operating to measure the length of the tape as it is laid and to actuate or trip a tape-cutting knife after the desired predetermined length of tape has been applied and independently of the feeding movement of the upper.

Another important feature of the invention comprises means operated by the work in its presentation to the feeding roll of the machine for setting the timer in operation. The timer is arranged to be set by the operator in accordance with its length of tape desired for the particular work in hand. Having been once started by trailing edge.

. 2 trailing or lower edge. The tape 12 extends from the leading edge of the upper but is cut oil? short of the This is shown as skived so that it may be finished by folding, but the tape 12 terminates sulficiently short of the trailing edge so that it will not beportion of the upper and form a' caught in the folded The machine comprises a frame of which only portions thereof are shown in the drawings. A bracket 21 is attached to the front side of the frame and in this bracket is journaled an idle roll 22 having'a recessed central Zone as shown in FIG. 2 to accommodate the slightly increased thickness of the back seam when the work is presented thereto.

Cooperating with the idle roll 22 is a large driven feed roll 23 and a small knurled tape feeding roll 24 carried by a long transverse shaft 25. This shaft is journaled in a bearing bracket 26 pivotally mounted to swing about the axis of pivot pins 27. Both the large feed roll 23and the small fee-d roll 24 are driven con.- tinuously by means not herein shown butwhich may correspond to those described in the tape applying machine of United States Patent 3,012,261 Small, to which I reference may be had for further details of the driving v the work the timer willrun for the selected period and then trip the cutting off knife, severing thetape while the work is advanced beyond the severed end of the tape and until the trailing edge of the work passes out from contact with the feed roll. When that occurs the work, or shoe upper, may be withdrawn from the machine'with its selected length of tape applied and fiattened in place by a rolling action.

Another important featureof the invention comprises a tape lock larranged to be operated in predetermined relation to the cutting-off knife and so tofacilita-te the action of the knife in effectively severing the tape at the desired point, As herein shown the tape lock is also arranged to be controlled by the timer.

These and other features of the invention will be best FIG. 4. is a plan view of part of an upper showing the back seam with applied tape. v

One example of the work done by the illustrated machine. is suggested in FIG. .4 where portions 10 of the upper of a shoe are closed by a back seam 11 to which a length of tape 12 has been applied in the manner for which the present machine is adapted. The back seam 11 extends from the leading edge of the upper,-

whichis the upper edge as shown in FIG. 4, to the mechanism. The small feed roll '24 is initially located "close to the circumference of the idle roll 22 in position to be lifted by the presentation of the work. Lifting of the feed roll 24 causes the bracket 26 to swing upw wardly against springpressure. The bracket 26 carries a head 28 and to this isconnected a vertical rod by ,means of a cross pin 30. The rod passes upwardly through a fixed bracket 19 projecting from the machine frame and by which it is guided in a vertical path. The

rod 29 is encircled by a compression spring engaged beneath the bracket 19 and tending .at all times to hold the feed roll 24 yieldingly against the idle roll 22 or the interposed work;

The rod 29 carries at itsupper end an adjustable screw head 31 which is arranged to engage the operating lever 32 of an electric switch 33. The switch 33 :ispivotally mounted above the machine frame by a pivot pin 34 and its position adjust-ably controlled by an adjusting screw 35.

Mounted above the machine frame is an electrically operated timer 36 connected to a solenoid 37. arranged to operate a vertically moving plunger 38 having a downwardly extending operating rod 39. The function of this plunger will be presently described but it should be understood that its action is controlled by the timer 36. The timer 36 is set in operationwben the small feed roll 24 is lifted by the leading edge of the work presented with thejsuperposed tape 12. The timer now runs for a predetermined periodand then energizes the solenoid 37 which controls the instant of tape cut-off. The timer may be gradedin tenths or sixteenths of an inch and is arranged so that the operator may conveniently set it for the desired length of tape to be applied as for example 2% inches, 3 inches, etc.

The tape 12 is delivered to. the machine from any convenient source of supply and passes between guide rolls 40, through a wire guide eye 41, between feed rolls 42,

over a roll 43 and then down through a vertical chute 44 to and beneath the small iced roll 24. v

The roll 43 constitutes one element of the tape lock and is arranged to move vertically to engage and lock the tape against a plate 45 carried by an arm 46 pivotally mounted upon the frame and adjust-ably positioned by an adjusting screw 47 which bears against a lug 48 projecting from the frame. When the roll 43- is lifted by action of the solenoid 37 under timer control the tape. is locked 'at one point between the roll 43 and plate 45 and thus subjected to tension by the action of the feed ro1l'24 and the cutting-off knife 5 0.

The knife 50 is similar in shape and mounting to that shown in Patent No. 3,012,261 above identified. It is mounted to oscillate in an arm 51 which projects from a cam 52 mounted for oscillation upon the shaft 53 of the large feed roll 23. The cam has a slot 54 in which is placed a pin 55 carried by a downwardly projecting arm of the spider 56 which is mounted to rock upon a transverse shaft 57 journaled in the machine frame above the feed roll 23. A torsion spring 58 encircles the shaft 57 and tends at all times to rock the spider in a clockwise direction. The initial position of the spider is determined by an adjusting stop screw set in the machine frame but not herein shown.

The knife 50 is semi-cylindrical in shape and mounted to swing about an axis located close to its axis of curvature in the arm 51. It has an outwardly extending tail pivotally connected to the lower end of a link 70 which is pivoted at its upper end to the lug 48 on the machine frame. The effect of this connection is to hold at rest the outer end of the knife tail and cause the knife 50 to be swung counterclockwise when the cam 52 is moved by the solenoid 37. This causes the cutting off of the tensioned tape at a point just above the small feed roll 24.

The tape lock roll 43 is journaled in a rocker 6t pivotally mounted by a pin 61 on the machine frame to rock about a fixed axis. A link 62 connects the rocker 60 to an upstanding arm 63 of the spider 59. Accordingly, when the spider is oscillated in a counterclockwise direction by action of the solenoid 37 the rocker 60 is moved to lift the roll 43 and lock the tape 12 under tension against the drag of the small feed roll 24.

The tape chute 44 is carried by a block 64 secured to the arms of a bell crank lever 65 mounted to rock upon a pivot pin 66 in the outer end of an arm 67 of the spider. A wire spring 63 carried by the arm 63 of the spider tends to hold the lever 65 and the elements carried thereby in operative position. These elements include a cam roll 69 which is engaged by the cam 52 to swing the block 64 outwardly to an inoperative position immediately after the cutting-01f step and so facilitate the introduction of work. When the block 64 is returned to its position shown in FIG. 1 the severed end of the tape 12 is brought into the range of the small feed roll 24 and picked up with the lead end of the work as suggested in FIG. 4

It will be understood that the feed rolls 2'2 and 23 impart a severe seam-rubbing pressure to the back seam and its applied tape as the work is passed through the machine. Accordingly the seam itself with its overlappin margins and the tape are flattened and the inner surface of the closed upper is rendered smooth and comfortable in wear.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. In a tape laying machine having rolls for feeding the work together with a superposed tape; means for cutting the tape including a movable knife, an electrically driven timer for controlling the knife and being operated independently of the feed rolls, and means tripped by the presentation of the Work for initiating the action of the timer in determining the point of cut-off of the tape.

2. A back-seam taping machine having a driven roll for feeding shoe upper quarters together with a superposed tape, a tape cutting knife having an operating solenoid, an electric timer, and means operated by the presentation of the work and included in circuit with said timer for determining the location of cut off on the tape independently of the feeding movement of the quarters.

3. A back-seam taping machine having driven means for feeding a shoe upper together with a superposed tape, a tape cutting knife having an operating solenoid, an electric timer controlling the solenoid circuit, a switch in circuit with said timer, and a trigger arranged to be tripped by the presentation of the upper to its feeding means, to close said switch and so initiate the action of the timer.

4. A tape applying and back-seam pressing machine having cooperating feed rolls arranged for relative separating movement upon the introduction of the work between them, a tape cutting off knife, an electric timer for determining its time of action, and adjustable means interposed between the timer and said feed rolls for setting the timer in operation.

5. A tape applying machine having cooperating feed rolls of which one is mounted on an axis arranged to be moved by the introduction of the work to the rolls, a spring-pressed rod holding the feed rolls together, a timer in electric circuit with a switch which is located in range of movement of said rod, and a tape cut-off knife controlled in its time of operation by the movement of said rod upon separation of the feed rolls.

6. A tape applying machine as described in claim 5, further characterized in that the spring-pressed rod and switch are mounted for relative adjustment to vary the period of timer operation.

7. A tape applying machine having feed rolls for the work and an overlying tape, a timer arranged to be set in operation by the presentation of the work to the feed rolls, and a tape lock and cut-01f knife both controlled in their action by said timer.

8. A tape applying and back seam smoothing machine, comprising a frame having an idle work-supporting roll, a tape feeding roll cooperating therewith and having a transverse driving shaft, a bracket for said shaft pivotally mounted on the frame, and spring means tending :at all times to rock the bracket and urge the driving shaft with its tape feeding roll toward the work-supporting roll; said bracket for the driving shaft being ararnged to swing about an axis in the frame parallel to the axis of the work-supporting roll and to maintain said driving shaft always parallel to the said axis, a power-operated cutofi knife, and an electrical timer operatively connected to said bracket for determining the instant of operation of the cut-01f knife.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,487,421 Calder Nov. 8, 1949 2,607,060 Foley Aug. 19, 1952 2,736,047 Roske Feb. 28, 1956 2,871,493 Vachon Feb. 3, 1959 3,012,261 Small Dec. 12, 1961 

1. IN A TAPE LAYING MACHINE HAVING ROLLS FOR FEEDING THE WORK TOGETHER WITH A SUPERPOSED TAPE; MEANS FOR CUTTING THE TAPE INCLUDING A MOVABLE KNIFE, AN ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN TIMER FOR CONTROLLING THE KNIFE AND BEING OPERATED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE FEED ROLLS, AND MEANS TRIPPED BY THE PRESENTATION OF THE WORK FOR INITIATING THE ACTION OF THE TIMER IN DETERMINING THE POINT OF CUT-OFF OF THE TAPE. 